Excavating apparatus with bucket casting means

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for excavating areas remote therefrom, comprising a vehicle having a boom carrying a dragline bucket which may be cast horizontally to the desired area by pivoting all or a part of the boom. The bucket is attached to a cable which is reeled in to drag the bucket across the area to be excavated, thereby loading it. Further reeling in of the cable returns the bucket to its original position on the boom, whereupon the bucket may be tilted to dump it.

United States Patent 1 1 Shepherd 1 1 May 15, 1973 [54] EXCAVATING APPARATUS WITH BUCKET CASTING MEANS Willard W. Shepherd, Los Angeles, Calif.

Shepherd Machinery Co., City of Industry, Calif.

Filed: Apr. 30, 1971 Appl. No.: 138,980

Inventor:

[73] Assignee:

37/135,214/146 [51] Int. Cl. ..E02f 3/70 [58] Field of Search ..214/92, 93, 145, 214/146; 37/115, 116, 71, 135; 43/18 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,168,643 8/1939 Berner ..37/l35 us. Cl. ..214/92, 37/116, 37/71,

2,878,946 3/1959 Wirkala ..2l4/l47 G 1,920,370 8/1933 Forsythe et al ..37/1 16 X 2,144,246 l/l939 Long ..2l4/92 Primary Examiner-Albert J. Makay A tlorney Harris, Kiech, Russell and Kern An apparatus for excavating areas remote therefrom, comprising a vehicle having a boom carrying a dragline bucket which may be cast horizontally to the desired area by pivoting all or a part of the boom. The bucket is attached to a cable which is reeled in to drag the bucket across the area to be excavated, thereby loading it. Further reeling in of the cable returns the bucket to its original position on the boom, whereupon the bucket may be tilted to dump it.

ABSTRACT 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEU 51973 3.732.995

SHEET 1 BF 3 FIG. 1.

/2 If i j Z6 Z5 74 INVENTOR I/V/LLARD 14/ 5HPHERO 5 ///5 ATTORNEYS HA/eR/s, M504 Ausssu. 6% KER/V PATENTE HAY} 51973 SHEET 2 OF 3 Mme/5, K/ECH, R0555 (EA Em 1 EXCAVATING APPARATUS WITH BUCKET CASTING MEANS BACKGROUND OF INVENTION DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS In the drawings: t FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an excavating ap- The present invention relates in general to an excaparatus of the invention with its bucket disposed in the vating apparatus and, more particularly, to an apparatus for excavating inaccesible areas remote therefrom. For example, it is desirable to have equipment which will operate from the bank or shore to dredge material from canals, tidal areas, or the like, the dredged material being deposited on the bank or shore, loaded into trucks, or otherwise disposed of. conventionally, a long boom is required to provide the necessary reach, with the result that the over-all apparatus is massive and expensive. Frequently, the available bank or shore area is not large enough for such heavy equipment, which means that the apparatus must be carried by a barge, or other water-borne dredging equipment must be used. Similar factors are present in dry-land excavations where the area to be excavated is some distance from the nearest suitable working area, or constitutes a slope inaccessible to or unpractical for machine operation.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF INVENTION With the foregoing background in mind, a primary object of the invetnion is to provide a relatively small and lightweight apparatus which can excavate readily from a working area some distance away from the excavation area, without any necessity for a long, massive boom to provide the necessary reach.

More particularly, a primary object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which includes means for casting a dragline bucket substantial distances to areas to be excavated, the apparalus including means for reeling the bucket in to load the bucket and return same to its original position.

Thus, the present invention requires as its essential components a supporting vehicle, a dragline bucket, means for catapulting the bucket horizontally to the area to be excavated, and means for reeling the bucket in. Such components can be incorporated in a very compact and relatively lightweight apparatus, which is an important feature of the invention.

Another object is to provide equipment of the foregoing nature wherein the bucket is cast or catapulted to the desired location simply by pivoting all or a part of a boom which carries the bucket.

Another object is to provide an apparatus wherein the loading and retrieving cable seats the open side of the bucket against an open bucket supporting frame which is pivotally mounted on the boom for movement between a position wherein the bucket is upright and a position wherein the bucket is at least partially inverted for dumping. A related object is to prvide a construction of this nature wherein the bucket supporting.

frame may be pivoted into a position such that the conventional loading position;

FIG. 2 is a similar view with the bucket in a carrying position;

FIG. 3 is another similar view with the bucket in a dumping position,

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the apparatus showing the bucket about to be catapulted or case to a remote excavation area; 1

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing the bucket being loaded and retrieved by reeling it in;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the invention, showing a casting or catapulting means in a cocked condition; and

FIG. 7 is a similar view showing the bucket about to be released and cast or catapulted to the desired excavation area. i

Description of Exemplary Embodiments of Invention Referring initially to FIGS. 1 to 5 of the drawings, the excavating apparatus of the invention is designated generally therein by the numeral 10 and is basically a conventional skip loader.

More particularly, the apparatus 10 comprises a vehicle 12 of any suitable type. In the particular construction illustrated, the vehicle 12 is of the rubber-tired type, but it may be of the crawler or track type as well.

The vehicle 12 is equipped with a boom means 14 pivotally mounted thereon at 16. The boom means 14 is raised and lowered in any suitable manner, as by a hydraulic motor 18 of the reciprocating type.

The boom means 14 includes a boom 20 carrying at its outer end a bucket supporting frame 22, the latter being pivotally connected to the boom at 24. It will be understood that the bucket supporting frame 22 is pivotable relative to the boom 20 about a transverse horizontal axis, parallel to the transverse horizontal pivotaxis of the boom itself.

The angular position of the bucket supporting frame 22 relative to the boom 20 is varied by a reciprocating hydraulic motor 26 connected at one end to the boom 20 and connected at its other end to an arm 28 fixed on a shaft carrying a sprocket 30. A smaller sprocket 32 coaxial with the pivot 24 is connected to the bucket supporting frame 22. A chain 34 trained around the sprockets 30 and 32 converts pivotal movement of the arm 28 by thehydraulic motor 26 into pivotal movement of the bucket supporting frame 22 relative to the boom 20.

The bucket supporting frame 22. is an open rectangular frame adapted to have the periphery of the open side of a dragline bucket 36 seated thereagainst, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings. A guide means 38 on the bucket supporting frame 22 guides the bucket 36 into the proper position relative to the bucket supporting frame.

A cable 40 is connected at one end to the bucket 36 and is trained over a pulley 42 on an arm 44 carried by the frame 22 and extending away from the bucket when it is seated against the frame. The other end of the cable 40 is connected to a motor-driven reel or reel means 46 carried by the bucket supporting frame 22.

As will be apparent, when the cable 40 is reeled completely in by the reel 46, the bucket 36 is held seated against the bucket supporting frame 22. However, as will be explained hereinafter, the cable 40 may be payed out to permit casting or catapulting of the bucket 36 to a remote area to be excavated. It will be understood that the reel 46 is essentially a casting reel from which the cable 40 may be payed out freely as the bucket 36 is cast or catapulted to the desired area.

Considering the operation of the excavating apparatus 10, the bucket 36 is shown in a conventional loading position in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the bucket supporting frame 22 having been pivoted into a corresponding position relative to the boom 20. Under such conditlons, the bucket 36 may be filled in the same manner as with a conventional skip loader.

FIG. 2 of the drawings shows the boom 20 elevated and the bucket supporting frame 22 pivoted into a position such that the bucket 36 is upright. Thus, FIG. 2 illustrates the carrying position of the bucket 36.

In FIG. 3, the bucket supporting frame 22 is shown pivoted relative to the boom 20, with the boom elevated, into a dumping position. It will be understood that by varying the elevation of the boom 20, the bucket 36 may be dumped into a truck, may be dumped onto the ground adjacent the vehicle 12, onto a conveyor, or the like.

Turning to FIG. 4 of the drawings, in order to cast or catapult the bucket 36 horizontally to a desired remote excavating area, the boom 20 is first elevated to an upright position, and the bucket supporting frame 22 is pivoted into a position such that the open side of the bucket faces generally horizontally, away from the area to be excavated. Then, the hydraulic motor 18 is actuated at maximum speed to pivot the boom 20 in the direction of the arrow 48. The high speed pivoting of the boom 20 in the direction indicated is terminated with the reel 46 in a free-wheeling condition, whereupon the bucket 36 is cast or catapulted to the desired excavating area. Substantial casting or catapulting distances ae possible to reach remote areas. For example, casting distances of 100 feet, or more, are possible.

Turning to FIG. 5, after the bucket 36 has been catapulted to the desired spot, it is reeled in, by energizing the reel 46 to take up the cable 40. As shown in solid lines in FIG. 5, this results in filling of the bucket 36 in the manner typical of a dragline bucket. Continued actuation of the reel 46 results in reeling in the cable 40 to its maximum extent, thereby reseating the bucket on the bucket supporting frame 22. As hereinbefore indicated, the guide means 38 insures that the filled and retrieved bucket is seated against the bucket supporting frame 22 in the proper position.

Subsequently, the vehicle 12 may be maneuvered into any desired location with the bucket 36 in its carrying position, as shown in FIG. 2. Thereafter, the bucket 36 may be dumped, as shown in FIG. 3 and as hereinbefore explained.

As will be apparent from the foregoing, the invention provides a compact and relatively simple and inexpensive excavating apparatus capable of reaching substantial distances. Thus, it may be operatd from a stable and readily accessible working area to excavate remote areas which are normally inaccessible, without heavy and expensive equipment.

Turning now to FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings, illustrated therein is an excavating apparatus of the invention which is similar to the apparatus 10, wherefore the same reference numerals are employed for identical components.

The apparatus 110 differs principally in being provided with a boom means 114 comprising an articulated boom having inner and outer sections and 152 interconnected at 154 for relative pivotal movement about a transverse horizontal axis. The two sections are interconnected by a reciprocating hydraulic motor 156 which, when extended, pivots the outer section 152 relative to the inner section 150 in a direction to catapult or case the bucket 36 as indicated by the arrows 158.

With the apparatus 110, additional casting or catapulting distance can be achieved by energizing the hydraulic motors l8 and 156 simultaneously.

Although exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that various changes, modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims appearing hereinafter.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of:

a. a vehicle;

b. pivoted boom means carried by said vehicle;

0. said boom means including a boom carrying a bucket supporting frame;

d. a dragline bucket engageable with said bucket supporting frame;

e. a cable connected to said bucket;

f. reel means carried by said boom means for reeling in said cable to seat said bucket against said bucket supporting frame; and

g. casting means for pivoting said boom means downwardly and forwardly to cause said bucket supporting frame to cast said bucket.

2. An excavating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the open side of said bucket is engageable with said bucket supporting frame.

3. An excavating apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said bucket supporting frame is pivotally mounted on said boom for movement between a position wherein said bucket is upright and a position wherein said bucket is at least partially inverted for dumping, said apparatus including means for pivoting said bucket supporting frame between such positions.

4. An excavating apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said reel means is carried by said bucket supporting frame.

5. An excavating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said boom means includes an articulated boom and wherein said casting means comprises means for pivoting the outer section of said boom relative to the inner section thereof. 

1. In an excavating apparatus, the combination of: a. a vehicle; b. pivoted boom means carried by said vehicle; c. said boom means including a boom carrying a bucket supporting frame; d. a dragline bucket engageable with said bucket supporting frame; e. a cable connected to said bucket; f. reel means carried by said boom means for reeling in said cable to seat said bucket against said bucket supporting frame; and g. casting means for pivoting said boom means downwardly and forwardly to cause said bucket supporting frame to cast said bucket.
 2. An excavating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the open side of said bucket is engageable with said bucket supporting frame.
 3. An excavating apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said bucket supporting frame is pivotally mounted on said boom for movement between a position wherein said bucket is upright and a position wherein said bucket is at least partially inverted for dumping, said apparatus including means for pivoting said bucket supporting frame between such positions.
 4. An excavating apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said reel means is carried by said bucket supporting frame.
 5. An excavating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said boom means includes an articulated boom and wherein said casting means comprises means for pivoting the outer section of said boom relative to the inner section thereof. 